A Ronceverte, WV tradition, join the fun at this year’s River Festival, scheduled from Thursday, June 11th-14th. This event is held at Island Park and is home to the Great Rubber Ducky Race where a $5 ticket can win you $10,000!! Island Park is a 20-acre park located on alongside the Greenbrier River and off Rt. 219. It features three ball fields, horseshoe pits, basketball courts, picnic areas, playground, walking path, amphitheater and the largest area skateboard park. It is also a location available for boaters to launch their boats and rafts. This event is free and open to the public.
Events kick off Thursday night at 6pm with food and craft vendors and a carnival from 6-10pm (weather permitting). Harmony Creek Junction performs on the amphitheater stage from 8-10pm.
Friday activities include food and crafts vendors all day and a carnival from 6-11pm. The Grand Parade is held at 7pm (line-up at 5:30pm) and the Goodson Boys play on the stage from 8-11pm.
The Mountaineer Horseshoe Club will be holding a Non-Sanctioned Horseshoe Tournament on Saturday at 10am for singles. The doubles will begin immediately afterward, if there are enough players.
Get a team of at least 4 together for Irish Bowling, held Sunday on Teaberry Road at 12:30pm to register. The game starts at 1pm and you’ll play from Teaberry to the Martin & Jones store. The Corn Hole Tournament (sponsored by Outlaw Corn Hole) is also scheduled for 1pm and there’s no pre-registration required and 1st place wins $50, 2nd place wins $30, and 3rd place wins $20.
On Saturday, bring your appetite and sweet tooth for the Strawberry Shortcake Sale and food vendors, who will be set up all day. Arts and crafts vendors will also sell the entire day. A 5k and 1 Mile Run is at 8am (registration at 7:30am) and a Fishing Derby goes from 8-11am. A Volleyball Tournament (registration at 9am) and Tahoe Tractor Club Show starts at 10am and the annual Car and Bike Show is from 10-3pm. The Basketball Tournament is at noon and another Horseshoe Tournament follows at 1pm. The carnival is all day from noon-11pm and the Great Rubber Duck Race at 4pm. There are a total of 3,500 ticket for sale and $10,000 is awarded to the 1st place winner. The Ducky Legs Contest promptly follows the duck race and stay for the nightlife as the Beach Night Band plays on stage from 8-11pm.
On Sunday, enjoy food and craft vendors all day and the carnival from 12-9:30pm. The Thunder of the River Mud Bogg is at 12pm and the Irish Road Bowling is at 1pm (registration at 12:30pm). Another Corn Hole Tournament is held at 1pm. and the Children’s Games are scheduled for 3pm. Live music starts at 3:30pm with Heaven’s Mountain Band who play until 5pm, WV Gospel Quartet performs from 6-7:45pm, and Whiterock plays from 8-9:30pm. The final event for the night and concluding the festival is the Grand Finale Fireworks at 9:30pm.
So much fun across 4 days so bring a good attitude and plan to have an awesome weekend of music of fun! For more information, find the festival on facebook, email ronceverteriverfestival@yahoo.com or call 304-647-7400.
Featured photos sourced from Ronceverte River Festival facebook page.
– LBSPY, June 2015
HASHTAGWV ART & ENTERTAINMENT Publisher/Editor-in-Chief, Christina Entenmann-Edwards has been a WV resident since September 2008. She was born and raised in Fairfield County, Connecticut, and is no stranger to hard work and the entrepreneurial spirit. In 2006, she graduated from Quinnipiac University (Hamden, Connecticut), Cum Laude, with a B.A. in History. In 2010, she graduated with an M.B.A. from Liberty University (Lynchburg, Virginia). In February 2012, Christina launched HashtagWV as the area’s first full-color, free arts and entertainment tabloid + online platform. Christina completed the Leadership West Virginia class of 2021, which is an innovative program that grows, engages, and mobilizes leaders to ignite a life passion to move West Virginia forward.